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Last fall I bought a 2008 convertible. Thankfully it came with a 60 day warranty! I filled up the gas tank on the way home and woke up the next morning to the "gas fumed garage". The dealer where I bought it had me bring it to a local Chevy dealer. They charged them over $3,000 for replacement of the pump/sending unit!!! Thank goodness I didn't have that bill to deal with after just buying the car. I'm a former mechnic, so I would've torn the car apart and done it myself before I'd spent that amount of money.

You convinced me to sell my 2011 GS. Every time I watch a video and see things I can't fix on my own, It just gives my nightmares thinking about labor cost. I'm just gonna give up and go back to a hot rod I can fix on my own. I just hit 29 thousand miles on it so I have dodged everything so far. But....I all ready have enough to worry about.

A C5 gas smell is often the connections at the fuel filter above the driver side tank. Safely jack the rear up, remove the driver side rear tire , stick your head under the fender and look straight up above the tank and you will see it. It often will smell of gas but show no drips on the ground. Ran into that several times.

Huge Safety issue for sure. Now, I say this should be a definite recall situation for GM. It is ridiculous to think there are many Vettes running around like ticking time bombs for fires or worse. Especially behind the drivers seat. This sounds like my lawyer getting involved with the proper authorities to get GM to recall this tank assembly issue. They have recalled cars for a lot less than leaking gas behind a drivers seat!. Thanks so much for the info you provide!!!!

I drive a 95. Always looking at 08-10. I think I’ll keep driving the 95. Thanks for the heads up.

CONGRATS C&S Corvettes! You're celebrating 50 years this year! Thank you so much for everything, excellent parts, & all the great advice. You've helped me so much with my C5 & C7 and what to look for on both. You're the best Corvette channel. Much love from the northern states. Thanks again!

Man I just had my fuel pump and fuel pump relay replaced on my ‘09 ZR1 and waited 4 months for the parts being on back order!Hopefully everything works out great 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

I had this problem with my 2008 Z51. It was awful. Yes, whole garage smelled like raw gas. Believe it or not GM/Chevrolet warranted the repair years later. They fixed it and all is good. If your looking to purchase a Corvette I would recommend a 2015 and later.

Lyle, you are a good man for sharing this. I'm glad I bought a C5 now. Wait the C5 has it's own issues. LOL

I had this issue with my 2011. My dealer didn't know what was wrong. He thought the tank had a seal issue like it was made in 2 pieces. I ended up trading it. Loved that car. It was my 1st Corvette.

no matter if its about the big problem that ill have replacing this stuff on my C6 , but i really enjoy the every video of Lyle , even if its for telling me that ill have to pay big bucks to do this jobs 🤣😂

Welcome to 2024. Looking forward to all your help once again!

Great info . I’m having a fuel pump replaced- massive job but the shop specializes in Corvettes. I have a 2008 A6. They are aware of the need to drop the transmission etc. The plastic lines you mention were not available from GM when I checked. However, I believe a steel braid line conversation kit is available from M2 Performance Engineering out of Michigan. Question. I have an aftermarket centrifugal supercharger on the car with a booster pump. Have you seen a lot of the stock pumps burn out with the booster pump systems? I don’t race the car and am into the boost about 5- 10 % of my driving time and never run the car below 1/2 tank

I had this issue about 6 months ago. Garage would fill up the gas smell any time I had more than 1/2 tank of gas. Had to replace the tank behind the passenger, pump, regulator and wiring harness. Dealer charged 5k later it was fixed. Only 25k on my ‘13. What a nightmare.

Lyle, you absolutely nailed the C6 dreaded gas smell issue, one of the pleasantries of owning a late model Corvette....but I still love the C6!

Does the climate where you live have a bearing? (And, as a 2008 C6 owner, this vid was of extreme value!)

Thanks Lyle you’re great 👍

I have an 06 Base. Noticed a gas smell, took to local dealer with the GM recall notice and asked they replace the fuel pump. I also had a fuel gage sending unit issue prior to this. After 3 MONTHS and multiple conversations. I was told during service that both tanks, pumps and cross member tube were being replaces. Once I received the car back, I have a hard start. It takes 8-10 seconds for the car to start. Once running, I have no performance issues. I took it back to the dealer and they only replaced the fuel gage sending unit. Did not replace the fuel pumps or tanks. Now they say this is a new problem and my left tank fuel pressure valve is bad and needs replacement, which as you know is on the fuel pump! Now, 2mo after the job, I have another fuel smell! 1st job was $3300 and the want an additional $2600 to redo what I asked them to do in the first place. Now I have a new "Vette" shop looking into it. Without seeing the vehicle, they said they have seen this a lot and the culprit is the fuel fill tube connection to the fuel tank. We need a fuel tank which is not available from GM right now. 2-3 month wait for parts. I cannot find any web search that regarding the fill tube. I have found a new tank for $900 with no pump. I do not have a lift, but is this a job I can do myself without a lift? I just am not trusting taking my car to anyone and re-spending a ton to have questionable service done. Any help or advice?

be interesting if you could spray the top with flex seal to see if that solves the problem

As always great info,.. not just for owners but also for buyers!

Had my sending units replaced on my C6 when I had it...varnish on the sending unit "scale".Dropped both tanks, had to replace the plastic crossover tubes as well as the corrugated larger tube.....3 K later the gauge was fixed but had the smell.......replaced vapor canister and all was good.

Yikes, if it had been someone other than you. I would have thought, you need to do what! HOLY smokes. THANKS, Lyle, for sharing. Hey if it needs to be done, do it right, or pay later. Looking forward to the next adventure in the Joys of Corvette ownership.

I just had to deal with this in November! Replaced EVERYTHING - fuel pump, lines and fuel cell. Cost me $3800 to get repaired. GM released a service bulletin on the issue and had I brought the car in one month earlier Chevy would have covered it. There was a 10 year moratorium. So yeah, what a bummer. So I had that repair done and then in December had a rattling sound coming from what sounded like the torque tube. Turned out that the first catalytic converter on the passenger side, the one mounted closest to the header, was faulty. The stuff inside had broken loose and was rattling around inside. Another $1500ish. Oof! I’m just hoping I don’t have any more heavy maintenance before my C8 is delivered.

Likewise, if you’re doing the torque tube, should you do the fuel issue? Also, aren’t the replacement parts the same age and brittle? Why not try and lather some type of fuel tolerant sealant on that plastic elbow joint?

I really love watching your content. I have learned so much about the C5 and C6 Corvettes. I have been dreaming about purchasing a C7 grand sport but my question to you would be have they fixed or resolved most of these issues that you keep talking about from harmonic balancer Fuel systems sensors, bleeding clutches, bleeding the brakes and on and on it sounds like I would be better off at least buying a C7. What are your thoughts? Please advise. I think at this point I’m too paranoid to buy a C5 or a C6 low mileage car. Lots of these repairs I would not do myself.

Lyle, another informative video. Thank YOU. Could you provide the part number for the black plastic connector hose in the video?

Glad my Museum Delivery 06 was built in Nov 2005.

I have 30k on my C6 that is always garage kept and I never smelled that gas problem. I always watch your videos and appreciate all of your Info. Watch now i'll go in my garage nd smell gas, lol

Thanks for this video Lyle. I have a 2002 C5 Z06 with 86K on it. I'm having this same problem when filling up the car. When needing gas I have been doing a short fill so I don't get the gas smell. I only fill the car when I know I'm going to put some miles on it. Am I experiencing the same issue as the C6? Thanks for all your videos, always very informative.

Thanks for all you do Lyle, happy 2024 to you and everyone reading this, may our lives be full of of internal peace, joy, love, lots of wisdom to prosper and health

Thanks a million Lyle. Subscriber now.

Awesome video Lyle! When i watch your content, time flies by! I have a 2013 gs manual i bought last yr (1st corvette) and love it. 2 thoughts, 1. Im guessing ethanol isn't helping matters on the plastic, probably a good idea to buy non-oxygenated (no ethanol fuel). 2. When filling up, and the pump clicks, stop. Don't try to add more fuel!

Great job explaining this issue.

I have a gas smell on the passenger side when I fill up. Do you think it could be passenger tank or carbon canister?

Thanks Lyle! Just great another thing to worry about on my 2009. My oil pan leak and harmonic balancer job was expensive but this job is gotta be about $5K! Don’t forget to post the GM P/N for that tube. BTW just want is that tube for??

08 base. Did job myself. Did not drop suspension. Just have to understand how it goes together. Tank must be high in order to connect. I used floor jack and wood. Fit like a glove. 3yrs no issues

I had an 05 convertible. The gas tank cracked and when I filled it up at a gas station. Gas started pouring out on the ground. I was 200 miles from home when this happened. Had it towed home to our local Corvette club garage. Still cost me over $2000 plus towing to replace the cracked gas tank, That was 13 years ago.

This happened to me in early 2019. I was informed that I missed the gm recall by a few months. Luckily I bought an extended warranty with my 2008 c6 in February 2018. That repair job PLUS the shift cable replacement was well over $3,000.00. That extended warranty was $3100.00 all I was out of was $100.00. 😅 I got to see my car at the dealership with the suspension and differential out. That was crazy,but for those who haven't experienced this, he is spot on!

Great information for C6 Owners. Thankfully I have a C5 model.

Great information for C6 Owners. Thankful I have a C5

My Corvette used to have that. But for some reason it went away And the fuel smell wasn't even that bad. It was a little small And even when I put fuel, it doesn't Smell no more. The most common issue with that is a fuel pump. The top of the pump where the little hose goes starts to crack. And a few vapors Escape from that small crack.

Thanks good to know now Im glad my c6 is a 05

Outside of torque tube rebuild, any other aftermarket improvements I should consider for long term health here?

Excellant information on fuel smell and how to address it

I have this problem on my C6 🙄 I only put about 7 gallons in at a time and I don't smell anything...lol

I don’t know if I will ever forgive GM for this known and well documented problem on their flagship car. Instead of issuing a product recall they offered an extended warranty which they knew would not cover most later model cars. They basically thumbed their noses at C6 owners. It’s a very expensive repair that requires removal of the transmission to assure all hoses are reconnected as needed. The hose hardest to reconnect is the vent hose for the fuel fill. Almost impossible to reconnect without removing the transmission. It’s a 6K to 8K fix.

Shouldn't an issue that causes a fire hazard be a re-call?

Part # on the LH tank Internal plastic lines that I showed is 10337583.

I had a ‘08 C6, I never smelled any gas. Boy am I glad. That’s a lot of work. Plus, I’m the type to go on and rebuild the torque tube and swap out the clutch while I’m already in there. Does the C7 leak?

My C6 smells like Racecar… I also don’t have Cats. 😀

Note, class action law suit NHTS. Paid 4k to do R&R both tanks as needed. Reimbursement $1500 from GM. No joke PIA.

When I read on forums about teenagers and people in their 20s who likely live paycheck to paycheck who are looking to buy a C6 Corvette, I usually type out a polite warning that "Corvettes ain't cheap!" Imagine this kind of cost for someone who might have $150 in the bank at the end of the usual month. I've had my C7 for a year, and I can confirm "Corvettes ain't cheap" even when they're baby'd and well maintained.

My early 07 manual had the fuel leak issue. I was able to replace the sender unit without dropping the trans, suspension, etc, but what a horrid job that was. Especially disconnecting and reconnecting this overhead lines inside the corrugated tube.

Awesome information as usual 👍

Just picked up an '09 with 20K miles. Gorgeous car. Smells like fuel after filling up. Darn. At least the car was free. Love my 04 Z06 tho! RUGER

I just sold my 2013 after fixing this issue…$5500 nightmare, did the fuel tank, cross over, charcoal filter, torque tube rebuild etc! Sold it and went over to a Camaro zl1…less issues! I sold the car because I had to buy used plastic parts! The thought of having to do it all again if failure happened again was the end for me! Great car but engineered like shit!

Watching people struggle with this makes me wonder - would cutting a hole in the trunk to access/replace the pump be MUCH easier? Could weld it back up. Thoughts?

Always does an amazing job

I just bought an 08 vette, last owner had the torque tube rebuilt a month after he sold it, he gave me the receipt, now the car is making a rattle sound from torque tube, i guess i will have to replace it again

I'm in several C5 Facebook groups. Would you mind if I give you guys a shout out on all of those groups? Very educational for somebody's guys. I don't know much about corvettes. That just purchased one. Plus not to mention I've learned several things from you as well. Thank you in advance. 😊

I know there were issues also with the C5 early 2004 models (mine of which is one) where the cross tube plastic connectors weren't good quality and would spring a leak. I would assume that the replacement of these (as well as the internal fuel pump/filter) are pretty much the same as what you've shown here minus the fact that you can access the fuel pump from the bottom of the tank? either way to get to the crosstube you gotta drop the rear subframe I suppose.

Very good informations thank's a lot !

Did I miss the part number on that fuel line you recommended keeping in spare?

Hi Lyle, I have a 2021 C8 HTC, love it... however being a corvette fan/car fan... I also have a 2007 Cabillac STS-V.... I have used some of your corvette info tech on my car (cadi) this gas tank issue seem to transfer to my cadillac... in short thanks for the info... oh as my car is no longer in production will a C6 sending unit/pump work in my cadi...

But I love my Vette. I bought a C8 and kept my 2013 GS!!! How much is a repair for my “gas smell” problem?

Why does it ONLY happen when the tanks are full? Mine stops smelling at 3/4.

Happy new year Lyle

Looks like I am lucky and my C6 2006 have this thing in metal :)

Lyle, so the C5 tank system does not have the same leakage/spraying problem as the C6 because of the location and metal used with the C5?

Guess Luck has been on my side, I can see where if you live in extreme weather changes, Hot/Cold would create this issue.

Shouldn't you replace those components with aftermarket components that are not plastic? Do you guys have a template for cutting an access hatch in the trunk?

Lyle, I have a 1993 C4 and when I start the car I get a strong gas smell from exhaust and some smoke. It’s not a head gasket cuz my oil is fine. The car drives fine. Only error code is H44 for left bank O2 sensor lean. I was told that it’s probably not the O2 because it has to be up to temp before that kicks in. Do you think it’s a catalytic converter or something else?

Thanks as always Lyle. My 98 C5 fuel gauge will randomly go to empty until I turn off the car and restart. I’m told that the fuel gauge sending unit needs to be replaced. Will both tanks need to be dropped to remedy this problem? And if so, will it be the whole process you described in this video where the transaxle and etc will have to be dropped as well?

Hi Lyle, unfortunately my C6 has this issue. Do you mind telling me if GM corrected the issue with the fuel pump or do you recommend an aftermarket one? All the OE I see for sale looks plastic still. Thank you.

What fuel additive do yo recommend

My 2004 C5 needed the primary fuel pump replaced at 8000 miles. Dealer said the rear suspension and drivetrain had to be removed to lower the fuel tank to replace the pump. This was in 2012. It’s labor costs like this that have me thinking about selling a car that I really love. The pump just quit while I was passing a semi with another semi just behind me going to pass him also. With towing it cost me $ 2200.00. That was in 2012. I can’t even think how much it would cost today. A real stupid GM design !!!

Is there a better replacement than OE?

All corvettes of all generations have their problems. Newer ones are full of electronics, which present their own problems and more peoblems with more sensors. C3 corvettes have old car problems with problems with leaking calipers in the brake system. It comes down to this as I have owned a 2005 and a 454 72 coupe with air n auto trans. The corvette has very little space in it to stuff all of those components and options into corvette. Then something needs to be replaced. u must remove several part systems to get to problem, i.e.. rear end, exhaust, etc. This increases labor costs, which is a lot🤑 . Literally take coevette apart where in older 60S muscle cars you have a clean engine with less wires and no sensors . So if you sell your corvette, get yourself an older muscle car with tons of space without all of that junk and options that get in the way. There is no real estate space in all of these corvettes. Regardless of vintage year you must remove one part to get to the part to be replaced. I.e . Battery in 63 to 67 corvette. Some of these cars do not have access to change battery directly as you must remove that tank first that blocks access. The same goes for spark plugs that are blocked by manifold. Good luck if you have air conditioner blocking the front spark plug, and / or you have a big block. On c3 68 to 72, the battery is located in a tiny cubby hole behind the driver. On most cars regardless if it's a sports car many times you might have direct access to the parts that need to be replaced and this helps make it easier and less costly vs. Having to take corvette apart.

The fact that you say book time is 16 hours to R/I the transaxle is startling and that is probably assuming the car is on a lift. Phoenix Motorsports during the 2019 Runoffs we were able to do it in less than 8 hours, on jack stands, in a parking lot. Granted there were 3-4 of us doing it at the same time. I was just pulling parts and putting them back as directed ( never worked on vette prior to this). They have some awesome mechanics that work with minimal equipment. Great video, I assume I’m safe owning an ‘05?

Reason why I now won’t get a C6 plastic and pain. Thank you.

so owning the back sheep 2005 finally saved me a headache? i hope so. my 05 has had so many of the expected problems. lets just say i now have a techline connect account. so i would love to miss this problem

Can you do your take on the Oil Catch Cans?

Couldn't find the part number for the fuel lines?

My 95k mile 08 does not smell of gasoline. I am assuming that the issue has been addressed. The bigger disappointment is the awful in-cabin filter setup. How is there no HEPA filter option? I really hate smelling the exhaust of the cars around me.

out of curiosity, can't you remove the rear fenders and rear panel all in one piece and then gain access instead of removing subframe transaxle etc? Are there any other improved versions of this pump perhaps a high performance one with improved plastics other than the Bosch one?

I have an '05 M6 car. No issues whatsoever. Is this something to be concerned about?

So is there no revision or company/performance shop whatsoever that has at least made some type of product or revision to that plastic elbow that cracks? Are we only left with GM replacements? Whats left when they run out? Kinda concerning for the C6

I Lyle, thanks for the video! I have a Question though .. Do you know the reason that some of the C6 outer plastic pumps / outer seat (i.e. with cracked elbow) are aging badly compare to others? Or, the issue seems to appear about the same time in terms of years no mater what?

Another common issue with Corvette c6 . For some reason, the hood of the Corvette's they start to paint chip.

Lyle always enjoy your videos, off topic do you know the hours for the NCRS event in Melbourne. I went to the local NCRS website and the only hours provided are for the museum tour. Thanks

The whole assembly is a hunk of shit. I didn’t have the gas smell problem but I had a level problem. The connectors on it had worn out and my gauge stopped working so I just replaced the entire assembly and just like you said I broke the plastic tubes. Honestly, the C6 is a gigantic hole in my pocket. I gotta fix the clutch now. Another couple grand I’m gonna have to spend. So annoying.

Oh yeah, Lyle, is that GM pump/sending unit available from GM or is it hard to find?

Thank God I have a 2002 C5...

If you could please take a moment at some time about rebuilding a C3 🛺 chrome shifter and the springs thanks nosale 🙏🏾

Is the c6 z06 affected with the same problem? I plan on adding the z06 along side my c4 at some point in the future.

Hello, can I get the details for the black cable, I can't find the details, thanks

Do you have a suggestion for getting rid of rubbing sound coming from the removable top on the '10 Grand Sport?

As a C6 owner I’ve become a tad cynical about not just the “General Mayhem” but every Car manufacturer. Let’s assume there are intelligent Engineers at work, they surely must be aware of the problems Plastic and Fuel pose in the longterm. To then design a system where you basically have to have half the car taken apart (at considerable cost to fix the problem smells ( pun intended) a bit like a money grab. This kinda repair is definitively beyond the scope of the majority of the average Enthusiast. The prospect of several thousand $ , mega Bucks if one follows your recommendation of doing all that other shtuff,, makes me seriously consider going back to a C3 (like I used to own) Let’s remember a C6 is not a Ferrari and most owners don’t usually have the kind of cash lying around , also at what point do these repairs outweigh the Value of the Car? Not even talking about the lax attitude GM has about Parts availability.. As always, great video and Info, Lyle!

My C6, driver side, rear wheel well has smell. Yikes.